This is the TBTF Log,Theplace where I report important breaking news
in the most timely way possible. The
TBTF newsletter continues unchanged. The most recent issue is
TBTF for 2000-04-19: Dot-communist.

Friday, July 7, 2000

7/7/2000 3:44:08 PM

Bland GAO report on ICANN issued.
The General Accounting Office has been investigating the legalities and
proprieties of the US government's relationship with ICANN. GAO was
directed to do so last fall by a conference report that accompanied the
fiscal year 2000 budget. The GAO
report has now been released in PDF format. In 45 pages the report
says little that changes the status quo. One of the few surprises is
a statement (page 4) that the Commerce Department has no plans to
transfer the DNS root server to ICANN's control. This may only reflect
the reality that NSI's contract with Commerce runs for another three
years before the question of control of the root server even comes up
again.

From the questions (below) that Congress asked and the report answers, one
can infer that Congress was looking for any points of leverage by which
ICANN could be restrained, if that were deemed necessary. The GAO report
does not provide any comfort to ICANN's adversaries.

whether the formation of ICANN was in accordance with the Administrative
Procedure Act and the Government Corporation Control Act;

how ICANN's interim board was selected and what role the Department
[i.e., Commerce] played in the selection of board members;

whether the Department has the authority to enter into agreements with
ICANN and to participate in ICANN activities;

what the legal basis is for the expenditures of funds by the Department for its
participation in ICANN proceedings;

whether, under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-25, ICANN, as a
"project partner" with the Department, has authority to impose fees on
Internet users to cover ICANNís operating costs; and

whether the Department has the legal authority to transfer control of the
authoritative root server to ICANN.

Many thanks to TBTF Irregular Ted Byfield
for timely notice on this GAO report's availability.

7/7/2000 10:53:05 AM

New at Jargon Scout: glocalization.
John Carlyle-Clarke proposes this term, which refers to the work
that Web sites, particularly US-based sites, will need to do as the
Internet's population becomes increasingly non-English. Read
glocalization as market-by-market localization across
a global scope of operations. Visit the
Jargon Scout for more background
and a link.

Sunday, July 2, 2000

7/2/2000 1:11:39 PM

Russian company patents the bottle.
TBTF Irregular Justin Mason sent word that a Russian IP company has
trumped all those American dot-coms who are busily making hay out of
software and bizmeth
patents. The company, Intellect, has secured the Russian
patents on all manner of containers. Here's the beginning of the
story
from the Moscow Times (thanks to Bill Statler for running down the lost link):

Company Claims Patent on the Bottle

By Lyuba Pronina

A company has managed to take out patents on all glass,
plastic and metal containers and is demanding that breweries
throughout the country pay it 0.5 percent royalties on every
bottle or can they sell.

Intellect, a company specializing in legal advice on
industrial property rights, secured the patents from state
patent agency Rospatent and has sent letters to breweries
offering a license so brewers can continue to use bottles and
cans.

Note added 2000-07-07:
Turns out Jamie McCarthy ran this
item in Slashdot
on 26 June. What can I say, scooped is scooped.

You can receive a collected week's worth of TBTF Log items by email
every Sunday evening; simply fill out the form.

Do you value this service?

The email and Web editions of Tasty Bits from the Technology Front
represent my best effort to present engaging, cogent news and analysis
on what matters to the life of the Net. The TBTF newsletter will continue
as before.